Tips for washing your baby

Submitted on 10/24/2005
Category:  Pre-Natal

Parents of newborn babies often are worried about how and when to wash their baby. Here are some helpful tips:

ou need to keep your baby clean and washed, but it is not necessary to give your baby a full bath every day. Two or three times a week will be plenty until he or she begins to crawl. However you will need to wash your baby’s face, neck, hands and bottom daily.

Wash your baby's skin with mild soap once or twice a week. Daily use of soap is only necessary on the hands and the bottom. The rest of your baby's body can just be washed with water on most days, unless it is particularly dirty.

Use warm water, never hot, as it may scald your baby's sensitive skin.
Make sure you have everything you need on hand, including soap, shampoo, towel, nappy and clothing. Be sure to hold baby firmly.

When washing, start with the cleanest areas first, and work toward the dirtiest, so that the flannel and the water remain clean for as long as possible.

After washing each area, rinse thoroughly. Take special care when washing your baby's face, neck, ears, buttocks, genitals, and folds of skin.

Your baby’s hair will only need shampooing once or twice a week. Just rinse hair with water on days between shampooing.

To wash your baby's ears, wash only the outside of the ear. Never put anything (such as an ear bud) into your baby's ear.

For more Information related to this article, visit www.askbaby.com

Contributing Editor: tfarino@strategicbydesign.com